Symone Gaskin

Artist Statement

My interdisciplinary art is an outlet for answering complex questions regarding the existence and connectivity of the living world.
It combines familiar images and shapes with abstract concepts and/or recycled materials that might seem out of place or eccentric. The style of my work draws influence from Southern folk art and is often inspired by sociological subject matter.

Collective effervescence is a sociological term that refers to a shared feeling of elation at the prospect of being part of something larger than oneself. I imagine a world where we regularly feel the same level of interconnectedness that we experience at concerts, places of worship, or cheering for our favorite sports team. Collective effervescence is what I seek to invoke as people experience my work.

As I continue to develop as an artist, curator, and community builder, I seek to be a vehicle for personal and collective healing. In a world that seems to nurture toxic stress, I want my art to be a haven of hope and a reminder of inner power. Art in its many forms is a breath, a pause, from the cacophony of stressors we are fed. My version of success is to create art or curate the work of many artists that invokes a shared glimmer that reminds us of our sameness.